Flint feeding mechanism for lighters



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United States Patent 3,176,481 FLINT FEEDING MECHANESPA Eff/R LKGHTERS Ray L. Burchett, East Grange, Ni, assignor to Jacques Kreisler Manufacturing Qorporation, North Bergen, NJL, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Man-29, 1962, Ser. bio-183,521 3 Claims. (Cl. 67-71) My invention relates to a long' flint feeding mechanism and more particularly to an improved flint feeding A mechanism which overcomes the difficulties of flint feeding mechanisms embodied in pyrophroric devices of the prior art.

Devices such as cigar and cigarette lighters are known in the prior art in which pyrophoric material such as flint is urged against an abrasive surface. Upon operation of such a device, the abrasive surface, which customarily is carried by a wheel, is moved against the flint to direct a shower of sparks to the fuel, which may be a liquid fuel carried by a wick or which may be a jet of combustible gas permitted to escape from a tank by the action of a valve. It will readily be appreciated that in the course of time the flint wears to such a degree that some moms must be provided for ensuring that the remainder of the fint rod is urged into engagement with the abradant surface. in the prior art, it is customary to employ a relatively short length of flint which is urged against the wheel by the action of a compression spring housed in a tube extending through the fuel tank of the lighter. When the flint of a lighter of the prior art wears down to a point at which only a small piece remains, a likelihood exists that it will cock or twist to jam the mechanism with resultant damage when an attempt is made to operate the lighter.

Various expedients have been resorted to in the prior art in the eflort to overcome the diificulties incident to operation of flint-feeding mechanisms. For example, the feeding spring has been made weaker to avoid such jamming action. when this is done, however, as the flint is consumed, the force exerted by the spring is not suflicient to produce a shower of sparks adequate to ignite the fuel. In order to overcome this difliculty, the user often removes the pressure spring and stretches it to increase the force exerted on the flint. When a new flint is inserted in the lighter, the force it exerts is so great that the new flint is consumed very rapidly and an inordinate amount of wear of the Wheel and other lighter parts results. Not only is this true, but the lighter wheel has a greater tendency to become clogged with material so that striking of a shower of sparks is uncertain. In addition, the spring may be so damaged by the manual stretching operation described above as to require replacement. It will be apparent from the foregoing that, in the prior art, ignition of the fuel in a lighter is under the control of the user, with the result that damage or improper functioning of lighters is prevalent.

I have invented a flint feeding mechanism for lighters winch overcomes the difliculties of flint feeding mechmism of the prior art referred to above. My flint feeding mechanism nunimizes the possibility 'of a remaining smml piece of flint jamming the lighter. My flint feedirig mechanism ensures a substantially constant predetermined pressure of the flint on the lighter wheel. Excessive pressure of the flint on the wheel is eliminated.

My mechanism employs a much longer flint than do devices of the prior art with the result that the flint need be replaced at only infrequent intervals.

Gne object of my invention is to provide an improved flint feeding mechanism which overcomes the defects of lighters of the prior art.

Another object of my invention is to provide an im proved flint feeding mechanism which minimizes the 3,175,481 Patented Apr. 6, 1965 possibility of jamming of a lighter by a small p-iece o-f 1 int.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved flint feeding mechanism which eliminates excessive flint pressure. a

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved flint feeding mechanism which requires less frequent replacement of the flint than do mechanisms of the prior art.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description:

in general, my invention contemplates the provision of a flint feeding mechanism in which a traveling flint feeder, received by the flint tube of a lighter for movement along the tube while being restrained against rotary movement, is operatively connected to a spring extended along the length of the tube and adapted to be rotated in response to a manually actuat-able member. As the manually actu-atable member rotates in one direction, the spring drives the traveler along the tube until it on, gages the end of the relatively long flint housed within the coils of the spring. Upon continued rotation of the actuatable member, the spring is compressed to cause the traveler to urge the flint against the wheel with a limiting force. The aotuatable member is retained in position on the tube by a coupling which releases auto matically when a compressive force in excess of the limit is exerted on the flint so that the force exerted by the flint on the wheel is controlled. I so a range my mechanism that when the flint is consumed to a predetermined length, no funt'her force is exerted thereon by the feeder.

in the accompanying drawings which form pant of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference characters are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FEGURE l is a front elevation with parts shown in section of a lighter including my improved flint feeder mechm'sm.

FEGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of my improved flint feeding mechanism illustrating its relationship to the abrasive wheel. 7

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the operation of the releasable retaining means for the actuating member of my flint feeding mechanism.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of my flint feeding mechanism taken along the line 4-4 of th'e'FIGURE 2 with parts removed.

HGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the action of my flint feeding mechanism in preventing cocking of a remaining short piece of flint.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, one form of lighter indicated generally by the reference character it with which my flint feeding mechanism can be used includes a case 12 which fits over the fuel tank 14 of the lighter so that the upper edge of the cover abuts a peripheral head 16 formed on the tank 14. I provided the tank 14 with a flange 18 extending around the bottom 2th of the tank. Flange 18 provides a space between the bottom of the tank 14 and the base of the casing 12 for the reception of the manually actuatable member. of the flint feeding mechanism to be described hereinafter.

A generally U-shaped frame 22 has a base 24 secured to the top of the tank 14 by any suitable means such as by a rivet or by welding or the like. In the particular form of the lighter shown in FIGURE 1, a screw 26, carried by the sides of the frame 22, supports a bushing 23 carrying the wheel 39 of the lighter. An eye 32 struck from the base 24 pivotally supports an arm 34, the other end of which forms a bearing 36 for the reception of a pivot pin 33 carried by the thumb piece of the lighter. A spring 42, connected between a hook 44 on one of the sides of frame 22 and a hook 46 on the armfid normally urges arm 34 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1.

The screw 26, carried by the sides of frame 22 also carries for movement therewith the wick cap support 48 to which I weld or otherwise secure the wick cap 56. Respective screws (not shown) pivotally connect thumb piece 40 to the support 48 so that the parts normally occupy the position shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawing under the action of spring42. In this position, the cap 59 rests on the boss 52 carried by the tank 14 and through which the wick 54 extends. As is known in the art, when the thumb piece 40 is pressed, the cap 59 moves away from the boss 52 toexpose wick 54 and a ratchet mechanism (not shown) rotates wheel 30 in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 1 to strike a shower of sparks from the flint 56, fed to the wheel by my mechanism in a manner to be described hereinafter.

It is to be understood that while I have shown in FIGURE 1 a form of lighter having a supply of liquid fuel inthe tank 14, my flint feeding mechanism is equally suited for use in a lighter having combustible gas which is released to form a jet at a location corresponding to that of the wick 54 in FIGURE 1 in response to operation of a valve.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 to 5, a bored, externallythreaded stud 58 extends through registering openings 61' and 62 in the base 24 and in the top of the tank 14. I screw the flint tube 64 onto the threaded end of the stud 58 to draw a head 66 formed on the stud 58 down against the base 24 as shown in FIGURE 2. I form the tube 64 at a point adjacent to its lower end as viewed in FIGURE 2 with a wrench-receiving head 68 to permit the tube to be tightened on the stud 58. A ferrule 70 carried by a portion of the tube 64 extending below the head 68 receives a snap ring 72. The flint adjusting knob 74 of my mechanism has a nose 76 adapted to be pushed in past the snap ring 72 releasably to retain the knob 74 in position on the tube. I dispose a washer 78 in an'annular recess in the knob 74 so that snap ring 72 holds the washer 78 against the ferrule 7 to provide a seal. This washer also frictionally restrains knob 74 against accidental rotation. Tube 64 houses a tension spring 80, which extends throughout the length of the tube from a point adjacent the lower end of the stud 58 down to the adjusting knob 74. I provide the lower end of the spring -80 with a number of coils 82 of reduced diameter. I weld or otherwise secure the lower end of the spring 80, having the coils 82 in a recess 84 formed in the nose 76. In this manner, in response to rotation of the knob 74, the spring 80 rotates.

Spring 80 receives within its coils an elongated flint feeder 86 formed with a number of flutes 88, having a pitch substantially equal to that of the spring. I form the inside. of the flint tube 64 with a noncircular crosssection, which in the particular form of my invention illustrated in the drawing is hexagonal. I form the flutes 88 with a cross-sectional shape corresponding to that of the inside of the tube 64. Owing to this arrangement, when the knob 74 is turned, flint feeder 86 tends to rotate, but, owing to the fact that this movement is prevented, the feeder merely travels along the length of the tube under the action of the coils of the spring 80.

Referring to FIGURE 5, knowing the length Y of the shortest piece of flint which will not cock to jam the lighter I form the portion of the feeder from the top of the uppermost flute 88 to the top of the feeder such that when the feeder will advance no further upon actuation ofknob 74 the distance from the top of the uppermost flute 88 to the wheel is X. Owing to this arrangement, when the feeder has been moved, in a manner to be described, to a point at which the uppermost coil of the spring 86 is forced against the lower end of the stud 58 in response to action of the spring, no further force will be exerted on the short remaining length of flint so that the danger of cocking is minimized.

In operation of my improved flint feeder mechanism,

the parts are assembled in the manner described above and a long piece of flint 56 is inserted in the tube 64 so that its upper end passes through the bore of stud 58 to engage the wheel 30. Now when the adjusting knob 74 is turned, spring 86 rotates to advance the feeder 86 to a point at which its upper end engages the lower end of the flint 56. Upon further rotation of the; knob 74, the portion of the spring below the feeder 86 is placed under compression to transmit force to the flint through the feeder to cause a shower of sparks to be produced upon rotation of the wheel 30 against the flint. If the knob 74 is rotated to a degree such that an excessive force would be exerted on the flint more of the spring turns Will be compressed between head 76 and feeder 86 and the snap ring 72 will be forced to expand to release the nose 7 6' as shown in FIGURE 3, with the resultthat the mechanism is disabled and the adjusting knob 74 must be reinserted in the tube with just enough compressionon the portion of the spring 80 below the traveler to produce the desired result.

As the flint wears down, there eventually will be only a length Y of flint remaining. At this-point the uppermost flute 83 of the feeder 86 contacts the uppermost coil of the spring 80 which is closed and thus clamps the top spring coil between the end of the stud 58 and the uppermost flute 88. Thus the movement of the feeder 86 is arrested so that no further force. is exerted by the spring through the feeder on the remaining length of flint. As is pointed out hereinabove, the length Y of flint which will not result in cocking is predetermined and the portion of the feeder from the uppermost flute 8% to the upper end of the feeder is made equal to the distance X-Y. If desired an auxiliary feeder stop 87 may be provided to ensure the limit of feeder motion.

While I have described my invention in connection with a relatively long piece of flint 56, it will readily be appreciated that it can employ short pieces such as are used in the prior art. The length of the flint 56 which can be accommodated is limited only by the length of the flint tube 64, which in turn is determined by the height of the lighter with which'my mechanism is used.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided a flint feeder mechanism for lighters which overcomes the difliculties of flint feeding mechanisms of the prior art. My mechanism is so constructed that the possibility of the lighter being jammed by cocking of a short remaining piece of flint is obviated. I arrange my mechanism so that a relatively constant predetermined pressure is exerted by the flint on the wheel of the lighter. My mechanism prevents excessive pressure of the flint on the wheel to eliminate too rapid wearing of the flint. My device uses longer flints than do flint feeding mechanisms of the prior art so that the flint need be replaced at only relatively infrequent intervals.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and it is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

- Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A flint feeding mechanism for advancing a length of flint into engagement with the abrasive wheel of a lighter including in combination means for guiding a length of flint for movement in a direction along which one end of said flint length is adapted to engage said wheel, resilient means adapted to be actuated to urge said flint into engagement with said wheel, an actuator for actuating said resilient means and a releasable coupling disposed between said actautor and said guide means, said releasable coupling providing a certain force retaining said actuator in said guide means, said releasable coupling being responsive to a force of said resilient means greater than said certain force, to relieve the force exerted by said resilient means when said resilient means is loaded to apply a force to said flint in excess of a predetermined force.

2. A flint feeding mechanism for advancing a length of flint toward the abrasive wheel of a lighter including in combination means for guiding said length of flint to a position at which one end of the flint engages said wheel, a flint feeder adapted to engage the other end of said flint, means mounting said feeder for movement along the axis of said guide means, a spring, means mounting said spring for rotary movement adjacent said guide means, means responsive to rotary movement of said spring for advancing said feeder toward said wheel resiliently to move said flint into engagement with said wheel, an actuator for rotating said spring and a releasable coupling comprising a resilient element disposed between said actuator and said feeder mounting means, said resealable coupling providing a certain force retaining said actuator in said guide means, said releasable coupling being responsive to a force of said spring greater than said certain force to relieve the spring pressure in response to a predetermined stress in said spring.

3. A flint feeding mechanism for advancing a length of flint toward the abrasive wheel of a lighter including in combination a flint tube, a guide at one end of said tube for guiding a length of flint to a position at which one feeder in said tube for movement in the direction of the axis of siad tube, a spring housed within said tube, manually actuatable means for rotating said spring and means responsive to rotation of said spring for moving said feeder to engage said flint resiliently to urge the flint into engagement with said wheel, said means for rotating said spring comprising an actuator having a nose forming a shoulder, a snap ring and means retaining said snap ring in position on said tube behind said shoulder to retain said actautor in position on said tube with a predetermined force, said snap ring permitting said actuator to move away from said tube to relieve the force exerted by said spring on said flint in response to a predetermined stress in said spring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,501,918 3/60 Rodak 67 -7.1

2,507,203 5/50 Finch 677.1

7 FOREIGN PATENTS 121,388 2/31 Austria.

923,614 2/47 France.

950,460 3/49 France.

999,221 10/51 France.

EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FLINT FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ADVANCING A LENGTH OF FLINT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ABRASIVE WHEEL OF A LIGHTER INCLUDING IN COMBINATION MEANS FOR GUIDING A LENGTH OF FLINT FOR MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION ALONG WHICH ONE END OF SAID FLINT LENGTH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID WHEEL, RESILIENT MEANS ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED TO URGE SAID FLINT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WHEEL, AN ACTUATOR FOR ACTUATING SAID RESILIENT MEANS AND A RELEASABLE COUPLING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ACTAUTOR AND SAID GUIDE MEANS, SAID RELEASABLE COUPLING PROVIDING A CERTAIN FORCE RETAINING SAID ACTUATOR RESPONSIVE TO A FORCE OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS GREATER THAN SAID CERTAIN FORCE, TO RELIEVE THE FORCE EXERTED BY SAID RESILIENT MEANS WHEN SAID RESILIENT MEANS IS LOADED TO APPLY A FORCE TO SAID FLINT IN EXCESS OF A PREDETERMINED FORCE. 